


out of bounds

by aubadechild



Series: ShuAke Confidant Week 2018 [6]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Video Game World, Digital World, Drabble, Glitches, M/M, Meta, New Game+, They realize they're in a game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 09:59:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16514177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aubadechild/pseuds/aubadechild
Summary: In which Akira discovers he was part of a video game the whole time, and exploits a glitch.{ mini-fic written for Shuake Confidant Week 2018 Day Six. }





	out of bounds

Akira had not gone looking for the undeveloped, out-of-bounds area directly outside the four walls of the attic room in which he lived and loved and breathed. But then again, no one really goes looking for glitches.

Especially not when one believes they live in the _real_ world. 

Prior to the discovery, he’d spent a great deal of downtime leisurely perusing online conspiracy forums. Was well aware of the “glitch-in-the-matrix” phenomenon shared by a not insignificant portion of the Earth’s population. But at the end of the day only fanatics believed in such absurd fantasies. 

 _Absurd fantasies such as the cognitive world?_ his mind countered. 

At this point, Akira was almost cross with himself for his surprise. He took most things in stride, even prided himself on his easygoing nature, his ability to roll with the proverbial punches. But after finding out that the strange cognitive world was, in fact, very real, the additional information—that the world itself _wasn’t_ —hit hard.  

But Akira’s alarm had almost immediately dissolved into curiosity: so the universe he inhabited was a digital falsehood. So _what_? What opportunities did that present? What doors did that open? Perhaps most surprising of all was how rapidly the shock had faded, became background noise to his day-to-day goings-on. It informed his activities far less than he had expected it to for such a massive revelation, and on occasion he completely forgot that his entire existence was a simulation. 

He was glad of the knowledge when he watched, helpless, as Akechi Goro disappeared behind an impenetrable wall. 

If there was one thing he’d learned from Sae’s Palace, it was _cheating_. 

And Akira had played enough video games to know he could use glitches to gently bend the rules in his favor. 

Or obliterate the rules entirely. What was the gruesome death of an estranged detective-prince-turned-traitorous-teammate in the face of save point abuse? 

The possibilities were _endless._

So the next chance he got, Akira invited Futaba into the safety of his attic room, pushed through the wall near the TV, and pulled them both into the familiar absolute dark of unrendered space. 

“Can you do it?” he asked, and Futaba quirked an eyebrow. 

“Um, _yeah_ , I can do it,” she told him in a tone that said _I’m offended that you even thought you had to ask._ “But between you and me, this is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done. Just—give me a hot sec, okay? I’ve never hacked the _world_ before.” 

“But it’s pretty much the same as hacking a computer in theory, right?” 

“In theory, yeah.” 

It took hours. Akira hovered in the deadspace beside her as she sifted through lines of code, searching for the recipe that would resurrect Akechi, or at the very least a version of him. 

Finally Futaba leaned back, cracked her knuckles, and said, “Alright. Here goes nothin’!”

And she made a dramatic motion with her hands (likely unnecessary for the completion of the task, but even Akira couldn’t deny the coolness factor of the gesture) and out of the surrounding nothingness rose rapidly-flickering, partially pixelated, and still grimacing Akechi Goro.

“You’re welcome,” Futaba sang, and the glitched Akechi turned its head toward her with the unholy velocity of a ghost in a horror movie snapping its neck 180 degrees. 

“W̳̼̗͎h̩̞͝ỵ̴͉̪̩?” he rasped. “Y̤̩̱̻̭o̹͖͉͎̮͍͎͠u̖̬̯͠ͅ.̞̫̮͉̘̮ͅ.̝̠͞.҉̦̲̠̘̝̦͍ ̗b̺̥̳̖r̛̦̰̙̗͚̲o̯̺͙ù͈̜͔̲͔̬g̹̩͉̩̩̜͚͟h̠̪̱͟t̳̗́ ̞͚͡m̨̗̘̯͙̮͇e̩͚̺̫̣̙ ͙͔b̬̟á͓̳̙̯̼͔͖ć̖̦k̶͔̜̗̱ ͉͉̖̣̗̰͚b͜ro̱k̹̤͍ͅé͔ͅn҉͙?͇! ͚̹̘̟̦͢W͍̘̳ẖ̗̖̹͈͙a̪̰̯̜t̙̞̘̮͝ ̦̫͙c̴̗̙̬̻r͕̹u̢̠̝e̜̪͚̲͜l̻̰̠̬̜ ̡̜͚̥̣͎̳t̯̙̥̝̗̦͓͢w̵̜̬is͈t ̱̟͍̭͘o̺͘f̵ f҉͓̬̲̤a̢͙̝͖̩t͔e҉ i̱̣̮͔s̸̩̤̰͓͕̹ ̭̺͈̼̬̼͢t̛͈̦̮̭̖h̲̱͓͎̫͍̲is͠?” 

Akira glanced at Futaba, who shrugged her noncommittal response. 

“I couldn’t just let you die,” Akira protested. “I couldn’t let it end like that. I still have so much to ask—“

“B̝̳͕͓̫̫͞u̯̬̜̗͎̰͎t̨̪ ̧̗͖̙̲̠̖̩y͓̰̠oų̖̰̞ ͞ḍi̸͇d̨̟͚̲ͅͅ,” Akechi said. “A͙̖̦̩n̘̼d̡̰̘̻̳͕̦̘ ̢̦̹͎͈i͖̪̝̭̬̻t̺̟̱̳̮ ̹d͖̗͓̩̭̰ͅi̟̝̹͢d̟̫̦͙̦̰. Y̴̬̦͕̗͙͎̘o̼͎̬u̘ ̭̝̥̝͇̣͢ͅh̹̳͔͢a̴͎͍d̶͙̥͙͉ ̹͉͟ͅy҉̝͉̖̫̫o̩̦͉̥̮͢u̮r̡ ̙̦̯̜̺̖͙c̪̖̘̰̹h̛̳̣a̵͕͉͖̘̫̰̟nc̕e̫̝͖̘s̶̩, ̥͞K̡ur̖͙̦u̙̫̜̳̱͘s̥̠͖̳͓u̳͇̱-k̶̳͖͎͔̯̪̫u̻͚͙ń̘.̖̖̱̼̘̱̺ ̺̬̥̙̭̹ͅY̥̣͎̫͙͝ǫ̦̯̲̬u̪ ̲̞̟̠̬̦c̨o͚u̱l̩͔̖̤d͇ ̱̙̣̙̪ḥ̠̣̱͇̱̼́a̼̫̪̗̯͉v̘̪̺ͅé͓͈͇͔ ̵̻̝̹̣̹̹t̛̘͕̬a̠̤l̴͚̘̭̟̳k̗̜̞̻̞̲e̱͈̥̹̘̟d̨ ̧͔̫̗̻͚̩͉t̛̰͓̰͔̮͔̦o̫ ̵͕͚͚ͅm̠e̗̲̩̘͙̦͍.̣͕̘ ͚Bu̦t͓͍̘́ ͇̹̩w͓̣̞̤̯̞h͉̖̬̘̙̗̥y̩͎̤͖̮̙ ҉̺̯̦w͍̳͓̹̙̹͖o̵̤͖ú̘̗̪̜̭̣ͅl̠͕͜ͅḏ͎̱ ̧̘̬̫̟̩y̞o҉̻̘̰̪͉u͖̥̪̼̜ͅ?̞̙̹̥͕̱͡ ̫͘W̱͓̰͔h̖̜͚̮y̟̞̰̖̝̹ ̺͓̟̹̻ͅw̰͇͇͓̮̤͔o̫͍̖u̢͚l̲̖̼̮̟͈̥͜d̙͉̱̤͡ ̣̘̲͓y̹o͝u͈͟ ̧̖wa̰͖s͏̜̫̖t͚̯͞e̮̥ ͖̹̲͈̤y̙̮̝̰̺̻͡o̝̞͔͎u̘̟͓̖̱̮̼r̡͎̰͎̞̟̬ ̢̲̙̼̹t͇̟͕͇͢ị̡̻̤͉̠̩m̻e͕͟ ͔͈̳͍o͇̲̠̥͜n ͈̳̰̼̤̀s͔̗̥̰̀o̭͎͘m̧͚e͎o̘̦͈̪ͅn̺e̞̰̜̲̰̙̹ ̮̟̩̰͓̦́l̶̥̤͚̭i̻k̰̟̰e̦̭͔͇ ̶̣̼̲m͢e̼̩͓̩?̸̘̬̩̮̞̻̞ ҉͍̘͎̗I̴̮͖̹̺͓͚ ̢̠͚͎̭̙̼̬wa҉̱s̵̫̼̮͔ ̖̼̯͈̫r̯ig͎͡ḫ͉̠t̴̩̬̺͓̗̟ ͔a҉̹̞̺̬͎̩b͍͓̟̜̻̜o̪̱̳u̝͠t͏͓̭͙ͅ ͞y̘͜o̹ͅu̪̩̝͓̤ ̧͎̥t͎͞h͎͎̖̠e̸ ͉̘͉̫͓͇w͡ͅh̗̙̖̯̤̫o͎̤̘l̰͎̠̫͕̫e͚̫̰̮ ̷̤t̢i̘͍͍͎̫̹m̴̜e̡̤̰̜̮̞̟̫,̷̞ ̶̻̤̣͇̼̗̳y̵̼͚o҉̯̜̖u͖̹̦̟̩͘ ̖̭̥͚̣͡k̫̥͘n̤o͔̭̞̱ͅw̭͙͜—̧͈y̵o͍̬̯͞u̕'͖̹̰̠̘̟̗ṛ̛̩e̩̬̪͘ ͔̬̥̰̮n͚̠͖͔͍ơ̻͙t̖͚̩͙̖̰ ͇͙̠s͏̫p̠ec͖̯̹̝̙įal̝͉̲̩̣̼.̴̳͓̳̲̘ ̜̟͎͉Y̰ou̮͚͇̥̥'̪̗r̛͚̙͖̜e̛̼̮̦̪͚̻̲ ̶͇̯̟͇͍j͖̪͕̬u̳͓͕s҉͎͖t̙̝ ͎̫́l̸̝i̘͘ke̘̰ ̨̙̗̖̗̳͇͚ev͚͉̘̰͙̞͔ȩ͈̯̥͖̼̗͈r̢y͖̗̰ǫ̻̱n̷͕͓e̤̱ ͇̩̦̻̥͚͙͟e̻̣͈lse̷̻̥.ͅ ̧̠͙̩̟̘Y͇̠o͘u̲ ͙͕̟͞c͕̝l͈̫͕̟a͇̻͇ị̸̗̠ͅm̼͚̘̪ ̤̜̤͇̩̼̬t͕̮́o̝̝̩͢ ̯c̬a̝r̴̤̰̹͖̮ͅe͕͕͘ ̸̗͉a̝b̵̬̘̣̙̘̼ͅo͏ư̜̹t͟ ͍̻t̷̖͎̬͉͓̫h́e̞̯̝̭̟̜͢ ͎͇̪͇͠ẁ̝̘͙͈̠͖̟o̼͈̬̬̯͔r̪l̡d̫̗̰͖̩̝͠,̗̻̼̯̮͠ ̦͕b͓͕̼͍̭͎͘ͅu̫͚̪t̢̲̳͔͖̮̖ ̘͕y̹̕o̘̜̳̥ͅͅu ̟̱̜͢o̴̳̜͈̺̱n̙̹l̦̲̥͉̣͉͇͠y ̠͢c͠a̱r̰̩̫̜͡e̬̪̹ ͖̝̟̣̠́a͙͈͇͚ͅb̺̗̗o̶̙̳̪̫͓̠u̫͍̕ţ̘ ̙y̷͈̮̥̭̠o̢̘̯̣͙̤u͙̭̗̯̬̹r̺͟ ̬̰̻͎͔͇͟f̵̺̗͙̥̙r͖͍i҉͖̜̬̣̻̬ȩ̟̠n̵̮̹͓d̥̻ͅs̝͚̮̹̮.̰͇ ̷͉͓̗͕H̘͡ỵ̫p̨o͇c̻̰̬̕r̡̜̯̳̤̝̳͈i̵̫͉̬̙te̪̗̬̮̜͢.̙̞̦̝̥̻͇”

Akira’s jaw quivered. “You’re wrong about me,” he said. “If I could do it over again, I think I could save you.”

“But̬ ͙̺͎̥̝y̬̫͔͎̯̻͔͝o̡͙͕͔u̴̬ ͇̜͈̤͍ͅc̱̙̣̙͠a̛͇̼̤̱̩͚̞n̘̬̙͖'̳̬̳̳̫́t̞̺.͍̀ͅ ͙̞̯̙͇͍T͔͈̪͓̲ͅh̴̩a̫̖͡ṯ͇̤'̮̤͓̞̱͕͢s͞ ̵t̯͠ḩ͉̳̬̗e͉̩̭̦͉̲͝ ̲̤̠͙t̫͍̬͔͇̗͎͟w̯ì͖s̗̬͓̦͎̲ͅt͏̯̱͉̦̣̣,̻̦̭͈ ͙͍i͚̱͉̲͔s̹̜͈̭̩̝̩͟n̻͚̲͎͎̩̺͝'t̴͎̜͎ ̢i̟̱͍t?̭͔͡ ̨T̡̗̩̠̫͇̺h̶͍̖̳̗e̶ ͚͞ͅw͖͔͝o̕ṛ̪̺l͉ḏ͖͎̳̹̞̫͡ ̭͚̮̺͟d̹̜̗ͅo̱̘̦̝͚̬̼e̸̥̲ś̳̫n̲̻̫͡ͅ'͎t̳̘ ̫͍͔̣g̠͜i̜͎͉͇̕v̘͙̥̻͙͙͜é͈̜̙͇̗͚̭ ̹̬͢s̥̪̫̹e̹͔͇̹̻c̠͇̥o͓̬̖͚̪̠n͖̯̺̫͚̻ͅd́ ͜c̬͕̟h͈̰̜̰̭̣͎a͝n̺͍c̡̼es͈͚͡.͏̯͕̟”

 A realization dawned on Akira then, so late he was almost embarrassed to admit that it had previously slipped his mind. But if the world was digital, and the digital world was hackable, _couldn’t he just restart the game?_

“Maybe this world’s a bit more merciful than we thought,” he said.

Futaba grinned at him with a fiery determination in her eyes. “Akira, you sly son of a—“

_NEW GAME?_

**Author's Note:**

> ideally this concept would have been fun & interesting as a longfic; however i wrote it in half an hour whilst on the phone so do with that what you will. also i'm 99% sure it's been done before, although i haven't seen it personally? glitchkechi is real and my friend. all of the fics i've written for shuake confidant week include ideas i'm willing & eager to expand upon at a later time, when i'm not rushing to throw some words up before the end of each day! and thank you all so much for the feedback so far, i hug each and every one of u <3


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